Rising Sky
by WondersOfWonder
Summary: Sarutobi Hiruzen has made many mistakes in his life, he is human after all. However, he will not let one blonde gennin be one. What can happen in the span of six months until the next Chunnin Exams? Au. Rated T for Language, Violence, and Gore in later chapters.


**Hi, I'm Wonder and thanks for clicking on this story! **

**Let's hope this doesn't suck!**

**I am in no way a ****professional writer, I do this for fun and am not the best story teller.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, trust me.**

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_**Chapter 1**_

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Sarutobi Hiruzen is Hokage for a reason. Trained by both of his predecessors and his well-earned titles "The Professor" and "God of Shinobi" only testifies this fact. He trained the Sannin, three of the strongest shinobi to ever be produced, and has held his position as kage for over fourty years. Most shinobi do not make it past their prime, but he has lived to be the rare age of sixty-eight despite his profession.

However, despite being a "God of Shinobi", Hiruzen is undeniably, painfully human, and humans make mistakes.

His battle with Orochimaru resulted in the snake sannin fleeing, but did not leave the aging man unharmed. Though most of his wounds have been healed by rushing medics, his life span has been cut critically short by his ex-student. His body is now frailer, and his heart considerably weaker from the damage he sustained. He knows he'll have to resign soon, the pressure from the council will soon force his hand if he remains as Hokage. Sarutobi has one last thing to do however before he sends Jiraiya and Naruto to find Tsunade, and that thing has to do with the blond hyperactive ninja himself.

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A bright orange blur rushes across the rooftops of Konaha, a large grin accompanied with bright blue eyes and blonde hair on the blurs face. Naruto Uzumaki is truly happy, and no one can bring him down today. Things are finally starting to look up for the hyperactive blonde. After the defeat of Neji Hyuuga and Gaara of the Sand a month ago, Naruto finally could feel the villagers acceptance of him increase, though a small amount. Some of the civilians have actually smiled at him as he helps with the repairs of Konaha, and they've even congratulated the gennin on his win in the Chunnin Exams.

He'll never forget the sound of what seemed to be everyone in the stadium cheering for him when he beat the Hyuuga prodigy.

However, despite winning his battle and even beat Shikaku and a sleep induced Gaara, no promotion has come his way. The only gennin that was promoted this year was Shikamaru Nara, and he didn't even win his battle! Of course, Shikamaru is smart, despite his chronic laziness. Naruto couldn't find himself to be jealous of his comrade, even if he does think it's kinda bullshit. At least Sasuke didn't get promoted, despite the many that thinks he should.

The jinchuriki walks toward the door of the Hokage's office, though the sound of the old man's secretary stops him from barging in.

"Hokage-sama is talking with someone privately Uzumaki-san, while I know you'll usually just barge straight in, you'll have to wait this time." Naruto sighs, looking over his shoulder towards the brown hair Chunnin and stands in front of the door. He knows not to argue with the kunoichi, having known the woman since he was small and attempting to steal the Jiji's hat, literally. He shivers remembering the time Chiyo found him hiding under her desk.

After a long ten minutes, and many glares from Chiyo for his constantly tapping foot and refusal to sit down, the door to the office opens.

"Ero-Sennin?!" Naruto yells at the white haired man, surprised to see the pervert leaving the Hokage's office.

Jiraiya sighs, popping the blonde on the head. "How many times have told you to not call me that gaki?" Naruto gives a cry of agitation, rubbing the spot on his head where he was hit.

"Stop being a pervert and peeking at gir-!" Jiraiya makes a quick move to cover the idiot's mouth with his hand, nervously glancing at a glaring Chiyo from her desk off to the side of them. With an awkward laugh and wave, he pulls his student further away from the woman. "You don't just that stuff aloud you idiot, and stop licking my hand!"

He quickly pulls his hand off the blonde's mouth, wiping his palm on the boy's orange jumpsuit. "Keep doing that I won't take you on that important mission that the Hokage wants us do."

Yes, that peaks the boy's interest.

"Jiji wants us to go on a mission! Cool!" Naruto looks up at his teacher with a grin. "Is it awesome? Are protecting a princess?! Raiding a camp of bandits?! Ah so cool!" The blonde does a little jig, the thought of a mission specially given to him by the Hokage causing him to be giddy.

Jiraiya sighs. "Just get packed for a good two week trip and be at the Northern gate to leave. I'll tell on the way there okay gaki?" The white haired man pats the gennin on the shoulder, pushing towards the door of the Hokage's office. "You need to talk to the Sandaime though before you do that kid, I'll see you later." Naruto gives a loud woop and sprints into the Hokage's office.

Jiraiya gives a smile and a shake of his head before he leaves the tower.

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The scent of tobacco smoke hits him when he walks into the office. Naruto's nose scrunches at the smell. He's always had a sensitive sense of smell, not as strong as the Inuzukas, but enough to where strong smells caused the young ninja to gain a headache.

With a bounce in his step Naruto walks to the chair in front of the Sandaime's desk. His everlasting grin is still on his face when he leans forward, a loud greeting as always for the old man. "Hey Jiji!"

Hiruzen smiles, ceasing the smoking of his pipe for the boy's sake. "Hello Naruto, how have you been sine the exams?"

"Great, I'm one step closer to taking that hat of yours old man! I'll be Hokage before you know it!" Naruto proclaims to the Sandaime. Honestly, he doesn't know why he's at least a Chunnin yet, he was awesome during the exams! He kicked ass!

The Hokage gives a light chuckle, clearing his throat before leaning on to his desk. He rest his head on thin skinned hands, and sighs as he feels his back creak from the movement. "I know Jiraiya has told you about the mission I want you two to go on, but before that I think you and I need to have a conversation about your performance in the exams."

If possible Naruto's smile gets wider, the excitement of the future mission added to the possible promotion to Chunnin. Hiruzen shakes his head, seeing the shaking boy barely containing his excitement. "Naruto you have not been promoted, though you should be proud that you won the battles you faced during that exams and the evasion." He could see Naruto visibly deflate from the news, the boys shoulder slumping and his body leaning back into the chair.

Naruto doesn't know what he did. He beat his opponents, hell, one of them he wasn't supposed to fight at that time in the first place. He rubs the back of his neck with a small smile on his face. He should've known though. He doesn't argue though, knowing that arguing with the old man would be futile. Despite what others think, he knows when to not argue, especially when it's with someone like the Hokage. "Oh…"

Hiruzen stares at the gennin, a boy who he has viewed as a grandson for the past twelve years. "Naruto, the problem isn't that you're not strong enough, you are actually more advanced than what a normal gennin should be." Blue eyes gaze at him in question, a sound of agitation ready to escape the boy's mouth. "However, you need to widen your array of ninjutsu, and need to find a taijutsu style that isn't as…raw as yours." Hiruzen reaches into one of the drawers of his desk, pulling out three scrolls. "Also, while you're gifted at making spontaneous battle strategies that surprise you're enemies, which is an important trait to have, you don't think about what you will do before the battle. You rashly sprint into a battle without preparing yourself or planning ahead, which are also important traits for a ninja Naruto."

The gennin nods his head, listening to the comments. A part of him wants to deny what the old man is saying, that part of him that wants to storm out of the office, ignore the comments, and continue to proclaim he's the strongest ninja you'll ever meet. However, another part of him listens and takes the critical comments to heart. Jiji's right. He does rush into battle, a thing that has put him into dangerous situations. It's always been luck that his plans have worked. His taijutsu is very messy, only going on instincts and throwing in whatever he learned from the academy or watching others. The only ninjutsu he knows too are two of the academies, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, and the Kuchiyose no Jutsu.

Hiruzen sees the thoughtful look on the boy's face, seeing that he's taking his words to heart. "Naruto, I'm going to give you these scrolls." He hands the gennin the three scrolls, smiling when the blonde eagerly takes them from his hands. "Jiraiya talked an agreed that you should have those three scrolls to study and learn from. One is about ninjutsu, another about a taijutsu that I think will go well with you, and the last is about battle strategies that you should read." Naruto looks up at the smiling Hokage, his eyes wide as his Jiji reaches over the desk a pats him on his head.

"Naruto I want you to attend the next Chunnin Exams six months from now. I know you will be promoted to Chunnin, as I also know that you will be a great shinobi and Hokage in the future." Hiruzen can only chuckle as the blonde practically jumps over the desk, giving him a hug with a cry of excitement.

"Thank you Jiji, I won't let you down! I'll get that promotion and become the best Hokage ever!" With that the jinchuriki sprints outside of the office doors, the three scrolls in the large pockets of his jumpsuit.

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiles and leans back in his chair. Gazing outside to look down upon Konahagakure, seeing a bright hope for the future despite the feeling of dreadful things to come in the back of his head.

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**So there's the first chapter, I'm going to attempt to post a new chapter at least once a week. I plan for these chapters to be long, so it might take me a little while to write one. **

**FYI, I do not plan on following cannon as you can see, I will be changing around the timeline a little.**

**Also, if this story gets enough follows or reviews, I will be putting up a poll for suggestions of what to do in the future of this story! Also, if you have some suggestions, PM me!**

**Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it and stay in tune for more!**


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